HaRav Aryeh Carmell zt"l, a talmid muvhok of
HaRav Eliyohu Eliezer Dessler zt"l and the author of
Michtav MeEliyohu, passed away in Jerusalem at the age
of 89.
Aryeh Carmell was born in England to R' Avrohom Chaim, a
prominent member of the London kehilloh, in 5777
(1917). His father, who had a genuine appreciation for Torah
study, hired one of the leading members of the
kehilloh to tutor his only son. At the age of 16 Aryeh
was sent to study gemora under HaRav Dessler, who was
serving as the rov of a London shul at the time. Later
he and other talmidim began to learn Jewish thought
and mussar.
HaRav Carmell began to compile HaRav Dessler's teachings
under his guidance. He spent a short period of time at the
yeshiva of HaRav Schneider in London. After the war he
married, making his home in London. His home was a source of
Torah and chessed and he carried out Chazal's
exhortation to make pursuing one's livelihood secondary to
Torah study — ya'aseh Toroscho ikkar umelachto
arai. He would spend the morning hours learning
bechavrusa with some of London's leading rabbonim,
including Dayan Aryeh Leib Grossnas and HaRav Yitzchok
Wassermann, with whom he set up the Rabinov Kollel in London.
During the afternoon he would go to his office to work for a
few hours, setting aside time every day to organize
chessed and outreach activities.
He was among the first to become involved in Jewish outreach
over 50 years ago, transforming whole families into observant
Jews. He helped build many Torah families. Following HaRav
Dessler's petiroh he started Yad Eliyahu in London,
where children who studied at public schools were taught
ahavas Torah and yiras Shomayim. A number of
the students went on to yeshiva and eventually built Torah
homes. On one occasion, to convince someone to serve as
director of the institute he promised to make him a partner
in his business.
HaRav Carmell was also active in kehilloh matters. He
founded an organization to promote Shabbos observance and
persuaded the British government to permit Jews who kept
Shabbos to open their shops on Sunday rather than Shabbos.
He published Michtav MeEliyohu, a compilation of HaRav
Dessler's teachings. The first three volumes were edited with
HaRav Alter Halperin and HaRav Chaim Friedlander zt"l,
while HaRav Carmell edited the fourth and fifth volumes by
himself. He also adapted parts of the work into a book in
English called Strive for Truth, which was
subsequently translated from English to French, Spanish and
Russian. He also co-edited Challenge: Torah Views on
Science and its Problems and wrote an important booklet
called Aid to Talmud Study.
When the wave of Russian aliya began he wrote a book called
Masterplan. Based on HaRav Shamshon Rafael Hirsch's
classic work Chorev, it also presented reasons behind
the mitzvos. The book, which was translated into Russian and
Hebrew, had a powerful impact on many Jews who were far from
Yiddishkeit.
Moving to Eretz Yisroel in 5732 (1972) HaRav Carmell
settled in Jerusalem's Bayit Vegan neighborhood and helped
HaRav Boruch Horowitz found Yeshivas Dvar Yerushalayim,
Jerusalem's first yeshiva for baalei teshuvoh. He gave
shiurim on gemora, hashkofoh and
Mussar.
That year, which preceded a Shmittah year, he began to
study the Talmud Yerushalmi Maseches Shevi'is, and
wrote a commentary together with Rav Yehuda Levy called
Kav Venoki. He then went on to write further
commentaries on other tractates in Seder Zero'im.
In Eretz Yisroel he continued his tzedokoh and
chessed work as chairman of Yad Leshisha in Bayit
Vegan, which is dedicated to the memories of the six
kedoshim killed at the entrance to the neighborhood in
5739 (1979).
HaRav Aryeh Carmell is survived by his wife, who in a very
dedicated way stood behind her husband in all his endeavors
and cared for him in a very devoted manner, particularly in
his ailing years, as well as sons and sons-in-law who are
marbitzei Torah, grandchildren and great-grandchildren
following in his path of Torah and yir'oh.
